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Mosaic Membrane Mighty Model©
With 3DMD’s first-of-its-kind Mosaic Membrane Mighty Model©, your students will feel a lipid bilayer's flexible, fluid nature as they learn about membranes and their important role in separating the inside of a cell from the extracellular environment outside of the cell.
Since membranes are more than a phospholipid bilayer, your students will model and discuss the interactivity of systems, with additional proteins and other lipids:
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channel proteins that move nutrients and ions across the membrane
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receptor proteins that bind extracellular ligands and trigger signal transduction cascades inside the cell
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peripheral proteins and glycoproteins on the outside surface of the membrane that serve as markers for cell-cell-recognition and aid in cell-cell communication
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glycolipids and cholesterol that aid in cell identification and affect membrane fluidity.
This membrane model sits on a base that represents the intracellular matrix of the cell – composed of actin filaments and microtubules – that supports the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer and determines the shape of the cell. With a classroom set, lab groups can combine multiple models to create a larger expanse of membrane.
